Us reviewed by Mark Kermode
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- čas přidán 21. 03. 2019
- Mark Kermode reviews Us. A family on vacation are terrorised by a group of monstrous doppelgängers.
Please tell us what you think of the film -- or Mark’s review of the film. We love to include your views on the show every Friday.
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Fridays at 2pm on BBC 5 live. - Krátké a kreslené filmy
“Is it the return of the repressed kind of Jekyll and Hyde, that we all have a shadowy side...”
Dude, BARS 🔥🔥
His rants are funny but there's really nothing like seeing someone review a film they genuinely love
Lupita Nyong’o was sensational.
Catching this review late, but absolutely! Lupita deserves yet another Oscar nod, however unorthodox the genre this would be for such a nod.
Excellent review! Mark is my favorite movie reviewer. Saw Us last night and loved it!
I'm nervous about watching this because I don't like horror movies. But I want to watch this because of the cast and the director. Is it scary?
Mine too!!!
@@lulubelle2009 the creepiness and intensity is some scene might surprise you. Be prepared i guess.
Alexandria Vaun I always watch Mark’s reviews even if I don’t agree with all of them. My fave review of his is from last year’s “Leave No Trace”..
BTW, do you have Filipino heritage?
I just got around to seeing it and I was very underwhelmed. I'm surprised to see how much it's genuinely liked by critics and fans alike.
'Us' is a strange beast... On one hand, it makes no sense and falls apart on many levels and then again, is entertaining, fantastically acted and bursting with interesting ideas that stay with you, like an itch in your cranium.
Hot mess
Yes, the first half of the film is great, I'd even say that the prologue is brilliant. Second half when the twist is laid bare, not so much. The film becomes a mess and Jordan Peele knocks his audience over their heads with 'the message' he tries to convey with the film..
Your reviewing style is spot on. You say in a short time with so much enjoyable insight the crux of a film without spoiling it for those who haven't seen it. A great level of movie history knowledge and critical thinking! Thank you!
Am I the only one who thought that Jordan Peele basically made a 2 hours long movie based on The Simpsons's Episode Treehouse of Horror VII Bart's Evil Twin with "Us"?
The ambulance number at the end is 1111 too.
Brilliant review. Loved the movie to bits, really really fun. Looking forward to picking up more details next time. Great catch on the scissors being symmetrical.
Jordan Peele is hosting the new reboot for the Twilight Zone.
I watched this in a largely empty cinema, it was early afternoon in the week so maybe not surprising. Of the handful there a few got up and walked out. I did enjoy the film in the main but I think it may appeal more to critics than the public at large.
Couldn't wait to see it, wasn't disappointed. Lupita Nyong'o was terrific.
Nicole Williams same here, got my ticket in advance and I loved everything about it, great time to be a film fan.
@@mikejohnston8275 tetherrrr-TUH lol!
Nicole Williams was excited to see it, very disappointed. Get out was way better
Almost feels like we watched completely different movies (one with an one without the title as a pun), but appreciate the perspective as always. Definitely opened the discussion for me
Going to see this tomorrow and can't wait. Jordan Peele is changing the horror/thriller genre for the better.
I hope u won't b disappointed like I was
@@ashleycallahan4185: yup. I think many, more honest, folks will feel the same.
How is he changing it for the better? Honest question.
@yo pierre: I think there r other motivations that sometimes go into propping up certain films beyond their deserving. Of course, taste is subjective and everyone is allowed to like whatever they like, but when certain films get soooo much hype, and the content doesn't seem to warrant it, that's an indicator that other outside factors r likely at play.
Imagine any other writer and/or director making this movie, without Peele's much deserved acclaimed coming off of Get Out. I doubt this movie would b getting near the press or praise. Peele has made a brand of himself from a single previous movie, and that seems to b propping this movie up more than the content. I know I went in expecting great things from the Peele brand of intelligent horror, which is y I feel so let down by what we got. Us was dumb made well.
i haven't seen this film because of the terrible reviews the public have given it and yet all the film critics seem to think its the best thing since sliced bread. For instance rotten tomatoes gave it the almost unprecedented score of four and half out five and the us film reviewer gave it five out of five compared to the average score of three out of ten the public gave it on imdb
His accent made me agree. He sounds so enthusiastic and affirmative . I hated get out, yet loved US so I approve
Wonderful review Mark like usual. Glad you mentioned my favourite director Dario Argento, it's because of him that I came to know you. Now you're my favourite reviewer! I thing I love about Peele is that his films are made for multiple viewings.
Just got back from seeing this and was hugely disappointed. I thought Get Out was great but found this to be a heavy-handed misstep, I'm frankly amazed at all the amazing reviews it's getting.
Sort of agree, did you not feel the ending was quite easy to guess?
@@tsmith5670 To be honest, I'd sort of lost interest by then, the ending was the least of it's 'problems'.
Scrolling through all the positive comments I was thinking I must be the only person who was totally underwhelmed by Us. All the comedic moments took away the minimal amount of tension that had built up, I found myself laughing and shaking my head at the silliness mostly.
Excellent performances from the cast though.
I agree. Badly paced and not as clever as it thought it was. It started out well and the cast were excellent but I was really disappointed on the whole. I'm generally pretty easily entertained and don't usually guess 'twists' but I was bored for much of it and the end was not a surprise at all. There was one truly great scene in it for me (the redo of the boardwalk scene with the doppelgangers) but on the whole it felt like a neat short story stretched into a feature. It's not terrible by any stretch but I'm also baffled by all the glowing reviews. 🤷🏼♂️
Agree. As i've said elsewhere here, check out YourMovieSucks quick review. Does a very good job of pointing out my issues (but even then misses a few).
“Ophelia, call the Police”.
Think Mark fundamentally misunderstands Funny Games here. The last thing it was doing was talking down to horror fans.
Also, just noticed on IMDB that Jordan Peele cites Funny Games as an influence on Us.
I adore both Funny Games movies.
@WaterMark Haneke is a cinematic troll and that is why I respect his work. I do prefer the US version for some reason when it came to Funny Games.
I saw Us early too and I literally went home and re-watched Funny Games. Utterly agree I do prefer Us to Get Out. Very intrigued to see what Peele brings to the table next and how Twilight Zone will be.
Wasteman and WaterMark, absolutely. Mark Kermode is a fantastic reviewer most of the time, but he has intrinsically misinterpreted Funny Games. No need for me to further elaborate as between you, you have both encapsulated Haneke's themes perfectly and succinctly.
Just to comment on Kermode's take on Funny Games, I don't see the film as an outright condemnation of horror violence but a condemnation of mindless violence. His intent was to force you to consider how pointless violence can be when it is treated so flippantly.
And as the for American remake, from what I've read he initially wanted the film to be set in America but couldn't because of budgetary reasons. He wanted to directly connect the commentary on violence to the history of violence in America and American cinema.
Glad someone else commented this. Important to note the time the American remake came about was post saw and during the whole mindless torture porn genre uprising so there was good reason to remake and expose it to a wider audience.
Normally Kermode is pretty on point with his observations but strongly disagree with him on his points on that film.
@@aidanflynn1000 None of the film's you describe are mindless. They all have a moral center. No horror films work without a moral center (Saw is about redemption through suffering, which is the Christian ethic). Now, you might argue that they don't work, and that's a fair debate. But don't call them mindless unless you are prepared to extend that to all art and religious iconography that includes suffering.
@@mindfuldrone That's a fair argument but my comment (maybe too flippant) was more concerning audience reactions to these films - not expressed very well admittedly. I doubt the majority of the audience was concerned about that theology and rather the experience of watching excessive gore without considerations of these idea. I guess what I mean is that when these films which should be achieving what you mention became easily marketable profit machines it was a sensible reaction to remake the film to expose more people to the ideas presented in the original
@@aidanflynn1000 You have inadvertently nailed Mark's objection. He has a much higher opinion of the Horror audience than you (and Henike) and rejects utterly the "Torture Porn" concept that is being critisized. It's not that he doesn't understand the argument being made, it's that he disagrees to the point of regarding the argument as absurd.
Or as it's known in the North of England, "Uz"
Excellent movie I'll be seeing it again tommoro however I think I preffered get out
This sounds good, though every time I see the trailer I keep thinking of the Bizarro episode of Sealab 2021
"Who's got a peanut for Turtle-Face?"
Excellent review mark!
Dying to see this one, can't wait to see it on Monday!
Can't wait to see this!
I echo others’ defence of Funny Games.
To add, that film was also thrilling, and suspenseful, as well as punishing.
It respectfully serves the tropes even as it flips the bird at them.
It’s cheeky. C’mon!
Just saw this. Got quite mixed feelings on it. There’s some good points :- good cast, good performances, good moments of tensions and keeps you guessing. Ultimately, the film is quite flawed. I think the central premise creates a few plot holes. I also think maybe trying to push its theme over a coherent story.
Oh - was anyone as annoyed by the ending as I was? I think that really backfires on the story beforehand.
I loved “Get Out” though.
The Birds is one of my favorite titles in regards to it having 2 meanings; its leading ladies.
I loved "Us". It's so well acted, so well made, and arguably more than the sum of its parts. And that's frustrating because this film doesn't make a whole lot of sense in of itself. But... It's so entertaining
Didn't Mark due the intro for the Funny Games premier on Channel 4? He sung it's praises as I remember.
Really wanna see this but I can't do horror in the cinema. Need to be able to pause it for a cuppa when it gets too tense.
what's going on here but then the whole effect is neutralised!
You need to see it with your un-wimpy doppelgänger haha
Who was flying the helicopters at the end?
Just watched and brilliant
Went to watch this last night...first time I ever had to leave a cinema during a film. Constant talking, mobile phone lights on throughout, people playing musical chairs...gutted. Why do people go to the cinema and behave this way?!
selfishness and/or stupidity.
Film not good enough to grab attention
TBH now we all shouldn't be surprised that Mark loved this! XD
Just saw it and I'm disappointed. Loved the concept and loved the trailer. The film however just didn't impress me. I didn't mind all the family bonding but honestly the only interesting people were the mother and the son. The score was great, the dopplegangers were just unintentionally hilarious. As a horror movie there wasnt much well crafted suspense, and wayyyy too many breaks from the tension. In fact the tension never properly reached a good point before I was taken out of it by some off handed comment or comical kill. The twist wasn't even trying to hide itself, it was clear from the start what was going to happen. There seemed to be a lot of attempts at making the dopplegangers feel disturbing or eerie but it just wasn't effective and I feel it's because of the over the top acting. I was really hoping for something more psychological or interesting to come out of this film, it felt like wasted potential of a great idea. I think they did an ok job of sending a message but right now I'm just not really feeling this film. I won't be watching it again anytime soon.
I agree with you about the humour. Get Out had humour and used it well. I found the humour mistimed and I hope we aren't entering an era where, just like comic book super hero movies, a horror film is only judged to be good if it's funny.
This film kind of blew tbh. I agree with everything you said. I couldn’t take anything or anyone serious. I don’t know how many times I laughed out loud because of how rediculous Lupita was as the doppelgänger. But yeah, interesting idea, some decent performances, well shot. Other than those, a tonal and structural mess with little logic. Next to no suspense, unbelievable scenarios, and that twist. That twist just doesn’t work. I had a feeling that’s what was going to be the twist. But it detracts so much from Lupitas performance and terror in each of her scenes.
Me and my friend completely agrees with you sir!
I thought the whole thing fell kind of flat. The "I Got Five on It" remix was far more intense and gripping and scary than anything actually in the film. Lupita Nyong'o does a fantastic job, but mostly it swings and misses.
Yeah I felt like the pacing could of been faster
Fab. I watched it and appreciate your review!!
Daamn. I left the cinema after seeing 'Us' thinking it was just a mediocre (if ambitious) movie. This review really puts a lot of the subject matter into perspective. It's really made me look at that film in a new light.
Yep its great!
The man from Del Monte says yes. Great review.
Just brilliant. Agree with all that. So much to love, but all the performances are just outstanding, the two kids in particular. If there's any justice this one will go down as a classic.
Sheehan3b48 are you insane? It was abysmal
Ha ha ha. What a story, Mark.
Saw it yesterday. Good movie, but as with Get Out I think people are a bit liberal with their "masterpiece" tags.
TheHitherto I agree..it’s thrown around far too much these days..
A brilliant ride of a film.
I’m with Mark on this one: I can’t bear Funny Games. Not because I didn’t “get” it but because I resented being condescended to like that. Two cruel, pointless hours of my life I’ll never get back.
I need to see this!!!!!
Will somebody PLEEASE sort out the focus on these cameras? Sheesh...
Was really looking forward to this film as I'd really enjoyed Get Out and despite a creepy first Act it quickly unravelled when it began to explain itself. Funny Games was far superior a cruel but clever game of frustration with the audience. Us was frustrating simply because it did not make any sense.
The most animated Mark's been for ages
I got to see this. 👍
I didn't enjoy Get Out (beyond the brilliant concept), but really enjoy Key and Peele and am extremely happy that we're getting another original horror auteur (which Peele is, no doubt).
I thought Get Out was a bit poo, but with good ideas that a better director could of nailed better, let him off though as it was his debut
@@starwarsroo2448 Pretty much, unfortunately. Room to grow, but very promising.
Agree about Get Out. It was as if all its good ideas were right there in the trailer, and then the actual film added nothing to them, so that you were left with this strange feeling of 'well, the idea was good, but that's about it'.
Completely agree! Love your reviews, and can’t wait to watch Us!
Get Out is also a fantastic horror, can’t wait for more Jordan Peele in the future.
Is it jung the shadow self which we may hide from friends and family and sometimes even ourselves
Yes i read our shadow selfes in it too
I want to see The Rock fight his own clone.
I absolutely loved Us. The way the story unfolds. The things I saw coming, the things I didn't, it all just played beautiful. The cast were all superb, especially Nyong'o. I want to see it again when I have the chance.
I just hope this has the impact to be in the award conversation at the end of the year the way Get Out was. But I fear it not being a surprise this time will hold that back.
..."But I fear it not being a surprise this time will hold that back". What?!
@@ennbee2051 A lot of times when people are blown away by a movie being good when they didn't expect it, the reaction to follow up isn't as strong, no matter how good the material is in itself. That feeling of the unexpected ads a lot to peoples feelings.
Funny Games, the original and the remake, were f'ing awesome.
I thought THEM was about Giant Ants... I'm obviously not classy enough
Ah, Those.
"Them" is about a composer with dyslexia
I went into this film with open arms, expecting a fun and exciting thriller.
What I got was a nuanced patchwork effort of giallo, home-invasion and Tarantino-esque techniques.
Parts of the film were brilliant and effective, the introduction of the characters is well constructed.
However...
From the first 10 minutes of the film, the 'twist' was predictable and inevitable, I watched the rest of the film wondering if Peele had been so obvious with the writing.
The ending of the film and the big reveal resulted in me asking several questions about the fallacy of the plot's nonsensical culmination. It doesn't work narratively, at all, the more I think of it, the more I hate it.
Peele has instead woven a flakey narrative out of a short film (set in a hall of mirrors).
The music queues within the film not only felt like they were ripped from a Tarantino-style movie, but that they were implemented expecting to have impact, none of them did. The scene with the NWA was particularly eye-rolling...
His direction is interesting, and there is no doubt he has skill, but the plot falls down at the end, and lowers the entire film's impact. I'd give this a 5/10, this film results in a 'fine/okay' ranking for me, and it's one I never have to see again.
Get Out was downright scary and the trailer of Us suggested to me that it would be every bit as good. Thank you, Mark, for this review as I see Us in a couple of days time and now cannot wait!
Couldn't agree more about Funny Games.
No mention of similarities to "two faces of evil", Hammer House of Horror Ep12 1980?.….Cannot believe no one has mentioned it. Or is this a doppleganger of "Us"?.
Yep. I HATED Funny Games, too. Can't wait to see Us, but I've just posted a review that my friend gave, if anyone is interested.
Michael Haneke's 7th favourite movie is Psycho. Haneke doesn't hate horror and I think Kermode completely misinterpreted Funny Games.
Jordan Peele took such care with details! I can't express how much I appreciated the way he considered our viewing experience while creating this for us. Brilliant!
Mark, cant wait to see this flick. Saw get out at least 3×. Been binge watching jordan peele's comedy stuff. Personally, i feel this is the man to watch from now on. Fantastic as usual review mark. For some reason, funny games feels like torture porn to me. And that i'm not into.❤
I think it is quite possible that you might get off by the violence in "Funny Games", but it certainly is not torture porn, because you don't see any of the physical violence on screen. If you want to compare it to pornography, it would actually be softcore porn, because it never shows anything and trusts that you will imagine it in your head.
@@lookingforanickname susan here. I didnt enjoy one bit funny games. I dont like torturing people, and if i remember, there was plenty of blood (2nd movie). I love a good horror flick, dont get me wrong. But to me, i didnt get the gag.
@@lookingforanickname susan again... maybe i do need to take a 2nd look at funny games, (either 1 or 2).
Honestly, I think the title Us almost has 3 meanings. Aside from referencing the doppelgangers (especially with Jason saying "it's us") and the U.S., it's also kind of a reversal of the "us vs. them" mentality. (SPOILER WARNING) The conflict doesn't really arrive from the "us" or the "them", because the doppelgangers aren't actually evil, but rather from the separation and inequality. It's not us vs. them; what we perceive as "them" is just us in different circumstances. Not to say there aren't differences, but one is not intrinsically better, and we only see it in that way because we separate the two in our mind.
Incredible film. Incredible filmmaker
2:20 Mark predicts the 2020 oscar best picture winner
"And he's gone on to do some interesting things..." aye just the two palm d'ors since then like
Yeah but let's not get carried away with awards, a couple of the worst films that I've ever seen have also been palm d'Or winners.
I was a bit worried that there might be a deflation after Get Out - I shouldn't have. It's an amazing film.
It's a good film, very suspenseful. However, I don't want to ruin the plot, but I just have to say there's stuff in this film that makes no sense that's mostly to do with the doppelgangers.
The film’s terrifically acted, frightening, stylish, well directed, well written & is A very well focused film that’s like A horror thriller take on Dead Ringers (1988). (89%) (4.5/5 stars) (positive)
I went in with an open mind, but I couldn’t watch it in the end because I was eye rolling so much all I could see was the ceiling.
Get Out was fun. Us was not as good.
I saw it last night. As the credits rolled in the packed theater ( near Los Angeles) a man said aloud so as to be heard, "Those are 2 hours of my life I will never get back." I agree. As did others in the theater who laughed when he said it.
The film was a mess and nonsensical. I couldn't wait for it to end.
I was angry. I felt like I was suckered by all the hype. As I watched it I kept thinking about a reviewer who said it was "overly ambitious." Sometimes, less is more.
Peele should’ve just kept the movie in the holiday home instead of making me believe that a group of people managed to kill everyone (im assuming the military too) only using scissors. Great performances tho.
I think only horror fans would appreciate this movie. I felt there was not enough information given in the movie to draw parallels between its universe and the real world. The clues we're given are incoherent. I can see the underclass/higher class connection, but I need to fill in too many holes for that to make sense. I concede, the score is just brilliant, and the only thing I really admired about the movie.
I think he liked it
The number 11:11 (Jeremiah) in the Bible is a palindrome, as are many things in the film, and is repeated all the way through (including the time on a clock, a sports game in the background, an ambulance near the end), referencing everything in the film having its symmetrical doppelgänger: the young girl with her mirror image at the start, above ground as opposed to underground, the scissors...it's a really clever film in that respect.
Really cut to the chase by the end there.
I really enjoyed Funny Games and the original is still the best.
Just back from a screening, its good but not as good as Get Out, felt the ending was too easy to guess from the start of the movie.
I agree. The 2nd third in the homes also lagged for me.
I liked it but unfortunately my viewing experience was ruined by people laughing at serious moments and talking throughout the film.
@@CatLives9 Well it was unintentionally comical
So was it scary then or not?
I absolutely loved this movie. Utterly fantastic and really creepy.
Shocked by Mr. Kermode’s review. The same flaws that he points out in other movies he doesn’t like are clearly present in Us, I think he and other critics are giving Jordan Peele a pass.
Mohammad Nass no they’re not
Sdrrshock this was good film making
@Sdrrshock well for a change it seem as though you're in the "minority"
Leaving Tetherland!
Interesting that Mark contrasts Funny Games so negatively with Us, since it was one of the films Jordan Peele had Lupita Nyong’o watch to prepare for her role. He’s said in the past that he’s a fan, and although I haven’t seen Us yet, I think it’s possible to see strong affinities between Haneke’s work in films like Funny Games and a film like Get Out. They both are quite strong on the idea of pointing the finger back at the viewer in potentially uncomfortable ways - in Get Out’s case, the white viewer particularly. I also think Haneke and Peele both have a deep sense of the importance of asking viewers to do a bit of mental work to ‘complete’ and make sense of their films, rather than the film just spoon-feeding them everything.
See twitter.com/blackstarfest/status/1077595250502352899?s=21
I think he liked it.
Felt the first two thirds of the film were brilliant, but the last act gets a bit carried away and spoils the ambiguous elements with wayyyyy too much exposition that doesn’t really add anything or make a lot of sense. Am i the only person who felt this?
No you're not.
Unsurprisingly, Mark has put this on his Top 10 of 2019. Hmmmm. 🤔
Why’s that surprising it’s a great movie
Us is Alice in Wonderland gone wrong.
Is that really what funny games was about?
It's telling that Kermode talks about the imagery of Us without discussing how this links with the themes. The truth is that there is no link between image and theme in this movie. The film is replete with a pseudo symbology which belies the fact that there is no substance, merely style. The images could mean nothing or a hundred things. The images expect of the audience to create meaning in the same way would an empty notebook, except this notebook has been inextricably linked with the theory of race so it MUST be important. Quite how the film discusses race is anyone's guess. If Peele has any talent it is in marketing. The whole film is a commercial to the cleverness of Jordan Peele and like a true advertisement it hasn't given away any real content, only hinted at it.
I always thought Funny Games had a lot more to say than 'horror movies are bad'.
The horror is watching a film with so much to love about it dragged down by chains of heavy-meta.
Great review, as always. Can't understand how anybody could down vote Mark's reviews. They are always honest, thorough, well-thought out, and interesting.
The central scene is just a massive slab of exposition. I thought Kermode was all about 'show don't tell'??
What I wasn't expecting was for this film to be quite so deep and thought-provoking. Totally blew my mind - can't remember the last time I left a cinema being quite so speechless.
I felt like it was more of a thriller than a horror.